Getting an NIE as an EU or EEA citizen

Key rules

• Registration certificate: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying over three months receive a paper A4 certificate showing the NIE, not a photo card.
• Separate NIE certificate: If you register, you do not need a separate NIE certificate.
• NIE alone: You can ask for the number alone without registering, for example for tax or buying property.
• Non-EU relatives: Family members from outside the EU get a residence card instead of the paper certificate.

The short answer

As an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you do not need a residence permit. If you stay over three months, you register, and the document you receive already shows your NIE. One document covers both.

If you are staying over three months

You register in the Central Registry of Foreigners. You receive the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión. It is a paper A4 document, not a photo card, and your NIE is printed on it.

Because it carries the number, you do not need a separate NIE certificate. Keep the certificate safe. You will use it for a bank account, a job, a lease or a purchase.

If you only need the number

You can ask for the NIE alone, without registering as a resident. This suits people who need a number for tax or to buy property but are not settling in Spain. You get a separate paper NIE certificate.

This is a different procedure from registration. If you later decide to stay over three months, you still need to register.

Which one to choose

• Living in Spain for more than three months: register.
• Short stay, or just a tax or property number: ask for the NIE alone.
• Short stay with no need for a number: you do not have to do either.

The decision and timeline below help you pick.

Family members from outside the EU

Your family members who are not EU citizens do not get the same paper certificate. They receive a residence card for family members of EU citizens, which also shows an NIE.

Check what the bank or notary wants

Banks, notaries and other bodies sometimes ask for a specific document. Before you book, ask which one they will accept. Offices can also handle the process differently, so check with your local foreigners' office or police station.

Choosing between options

Should you register as a resident or ask for the NIE alone?

• Register as a resident: You are staying in Spain over three months. You get the registration certificate, which already shows your NIE.

• Ask for the NIE alone: You need only a number, for example to buy property or for tax, and you are not living in Spain.

If you stay over three months, register: the certificate includes your NIE. If you only need a number, ask for the NIE alone.

Timeline and deadlines

• Arrive and stay without registering if you only need a short stay: for your first three months

• Register in the Central Registry of Foreigners to get the registration certificate with your NIE: once your stay goes over three months

• Ask for the NIE alone if you need only a number for tax or property: any time, without registering as a resident

Documents you need

• Registration certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión): a paper A4 document issued by the Central Registry of Foreigners when you register as a resident for a stay over three months. It shows your NIE, so you need nothing else for the number.

• Separate NIE certificate: a paper document issued only if you ask for the number alone without registering as a resident, such as a non-resident property buyer. You do not need it if you have the registration certificate.

Checklist

• Decide whether you are staying over three months or only need the number.

• Register in the Central Registry of Foreigners if you are staying over three months.

• Check that your registration certificate shows your NIE.

• Skip the separate NIE certificate if you have registered.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get just the NIE without registering as a resident?

Yes, you can ask for the number alone, for example for tax or to buy property. You receive a separate paper NIE certificate, and it does not register you as a resident.

Will I get a residence card if I register?

No, registering as an EU or EEA citizen does not give you a residence card. You get a paper A4 certificate that shows your NIE instead of a photo card. The former green card was replaced by this certificate in 2010.

My non-EU family member is moving with me. What document do they get?

They get a residence card for family members of EU citizens, and it also shows an NIE. This is the one case where a card is issued.

A bank or notary asks for a specific NIE document. What do I do?

Ask which document they need and why. The registration certificate already shows your NIE, so it should normally be enough. If they insist on the separate NIE certificate, ask your local office whether you can request it.